Thomas Merton
Trappist monk, writer, and advocate for interfaith understanding.
Thomas Merton, who took the religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, theologian, mystic, poet, and social activist. From 1941 until his death in 1968, he lived as a professed member of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani near Bardstown, Kentucky. Over 27 years, he produced more than 50 books, along with numerous essays and reviews, focusing on spirituality, social justice, and pacifism. His autobiography, *The Seven Storey Mountain* (1948), became a bestseller and remains his most famous work. Merton also championed interfaith dialogue, studying Eastern religions and engaging with prominent Asian spiritual leaders.
Born on January 31, 1915, in Prades, France, to Owen Merton, a New Zealand painter, and Ruth Jenkins Merton, an American Quaker and artist, he was baptized in the Church of England per his father’s wishes. His father was often absent during his childhood. In August 1915, the family fled France for the United States due to World War I, first staying with Ruth’s parents in Queens, New York, then settling in Douglaston. They moved to Flushing in 1917, where his brother John Paul was born on November 2, 1918. The family considered returning to France, but Ruth was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died on October 21, 1921, at Bellevue Hospital, when Merton was six and his brother not yet three. In 1926, his father enrolled him at Lycée Ingres, a boys’ boarding school in Montauban, France, but withdrew him in the summer of 1928, saying the family was moving to England.
In October 1933, Merton entered Clare College, Cambridge, to study French and Italian. Unhappy there, he preferred loafing to studying and fathered a child he never met, though he later signed court documents stating he had “no children.” In January 1935, he transferred as a sophomore to Columbia University in New York City, where he formed lasting friendships with painter Ad Reinhardt, poet Robert Lax, commentator Ralph de Toledano, law student John Slate, and publisher Robert Giroux. He took an 18th-century English literature course with Mark Van Doren, a professor who became a lifelong friend, and joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He graduated with a B.A. in English in January 1938. That June, a friend arranged a meeting with Mahanambrata Brahmachari, a Hindu monk visiting from the University of Chicago. Impressed, Merton expected a recommendation to study Hindui
- born
- January 31, 1915, Prades, Pyrénées-Orientales, France
- died
- December 10, 1968
- field
- Theology, spirituality, poetry, social activism
- nationality
- American (born in France to parents of Welsh origin)
- known_for
- Bestselling autobiography *The Seven Storey Mountain*; interfaith dialogue; Trappist monk at Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani
Lore & Background
Thomas Merton was born in France in 1915 to Owen Merton, a New Zealand painter, and Ruth Jenkins Merton, an American Quaker and artist. During World War I, the family moved to the United States, settling in Queens, New York. After his mother died of stomach cancer in 1921, Merton was raised by his father, who enrolled him in a boarding school in France. He later studied at Clare College, Cambridge, and Columbia University, where he earned a B.A. and M.A. in English. After converting to Catholicism in 1938, Merton was accepted by the Franciscan Order but withdrew his application; he then taught at St. Bonaventure University before entering the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in December 1941.
At Gethsemani, Merton took the religious name Mary Louis and was ordained a priest in 1949. His superior encouraged him to write, and his autobiography *The Seven Storey Mountain* (1948) brought him critical acclaim and a wide readership. Merton also published poetry, biographies, and works on contemplation. He corresponded with a Carthusian monk and considered leaving the Cistercians for the Carthusian or Camaldolese orders, but his abbot assured him he belonged at Gethsemani. From 1948 on, Merton identified himself as an anarchist.
Reader's Guide
Thomas Merton's significance lies in his role as a Trappist monk who bridged contemplative Christian spirituality with modern social concerns and interfaith dialogue. His autobiography *The Seven Storey Mountain* became a spiritual classic, influencing generations of readers. Merton's writings on social justice, pacifism, and nonviolence reflected his commitment to peace, while his exploration of Eastern religions—prompted partly by a meeting with a Hindu monk in 1938—made him a pioneer in interfaith understanding. His legacy endures through his more than 50 books, his journals, and his example of integrating monastic life with engagement in the world. Merton's life at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, his struggles with vocation, and his eventual identification as an anarchist highlight a complex figure who sought authenticity in faith and action.
Did You Know?
- Merton fathered a child while at Clare College, Cambridge, whom he never met, though he later signed court documents stating he had 'no children'.
- He was baptized in the Church of England in accordance with his father's wishes, but converted to Catholicism in 1938.
- Merton's brother John Paul visited him at Gethsemani in July 1942, was baptized a Catholic, and died in 1943 when his plane failed over the English Channel.
- Merton applied for American citizenship on January 5, 1949.
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